What are the chances the next Wilco album sucks?

[Bart]

The chances that the next Wilco album will suck are zero. The next Justin Beiber album will certainly suck, but the next Wilco album will not. Some of you may not like it because it's not Summerteeth Pt. II, but time marches on and thankfully so does this band.

 

To all the people bitching about the last two albums - - would you rather they didn't release them at all? Would you rather have 5 years with no new material?

 

Some of you guys remind me of some hard core Dylan fans. There's a certain, very vocal, segment of Dylan fans who have hated everything he's done since sometime in 1962. But like Wilco, Dylan changes his sound, his style, his focus, etc. Some fans can't handle it. Some rejoice in it.

[broc]

 

To all the people bitching about the last two albums - - would you rather they didn't release them at all? Would you rather have 5 years with no new material?

 

 

 

Yes, I would rather have had two 5/6 track EPs in their place. I would have preferred if they had not released On & On, What Light, You Never Know, You & I, Walken and Everlasting Everything. I'd also prefer a long wait for excellent material than some of the dross offered up in the last five years.

 

Is that OK?

[Guest Speed Racer]

Yeah, but I wouldn't mind Cline being more involved in the creative process, right now he's nothing more than an expensive touring guitarist.

 

Tweedy should kick Sansone though.

 

This.

 

One of the primary reasons I dislike Cline-Wilco is because I thought Wilco was at its touring peak as a four-piece; so many of their songs benefit from silence, and with 6 playing members its impossible not to overplay on songs. They seem to compensate by making the noise sections even noisier, to the point of almost being parody.

 

Kick Sansone where? Out of the band? Actually Pat has gotten significantly better at what he does since joining the band.

 

Overplaying? Dancing? Combing his hair? Making records with John?

[choo-choo-charlie]

 

...I thought Wilco was at its touring peak as a four-piece; so many of their songs benefit from silence...

 

 

I go through as many phases of which live-era Wilco I listen to as I do with the actual albums. At first I didn't like them, but over time I've come to love those 2001 post-Jay Bennett live recordings. It's interesting, though, to see how similar the setlists are from many of the shows that year; with only four members there's only so many tunes they could pull off sonically. But it's all so beautiful.

[LouieB]

 

 

 

Overplaying? Dancing? Combing his hair? Making records with John?

He can't make records with John, comb his hair or dance? I don't see him overplaying either. There was a time when I think he underplayed if anything. I know some folks are so fond of Pat, but he gives the band a bit of visual flair.

 

LouieB

[Guest Speed Racer]

He can't make records with John, comb his hair or dance?

 

No, I'm just unclear about what he does, that he apparently got better at, that in some way benefits Wilco's sound.

 

Ooooh! Was it the Polaroids?

[broc]

 

One of the primary reasons I dislike Cline-Wilco is because I thought Wilco was at its touring peak as a four-piece; so many of their songs benefit from silence, and with 6 playing members its impossible not to overplay on songs.

 

 

This.

 

I know some folks are so fond of Pat, but he gives the band a bit of visual flair.

 

LouieB

 

Not much use while one is listening to the records.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Not much use while one is listening to the records.

 

And I suspect he's responsible for the organ "flair" at the opening of Solitaire, which ruins a perfectly mediocre song.

[Bart]

Yes, I would rather have had two 5/6 track EPs in their place. I would have preferred if they had not released On & On, What Light, You Never Know, You & I, Walken and Everlasting Everything. I'd also prefer a long wait for excellent material than some of the dross offered up in the last five years.

 

Is that OK?

 

Just don't put those songs on the ipod or burn your own custom Wilco ep.

 

Problem solved. Next!

[Guest Speed Racer]

Just don't put those songs on the ipod or burn your own custom Wilco ep.

 

Some of those songs are like seeing your grandmother naked; once you know it's there, you can't forget.

[broc]

Just don't put those songs on the ipod or burn your own custom Wilco ep.

 

Problem solved. Next!

 

I don't have an Ipod and listen to Wilco on vinyl only. Which means I never, ever play side 4 of SBS.

[GLHawk]

No, I'm just unclear about what he does, that he apparently got better at, that in some way benefits Wilco's sound.

 

Ooooh! Was it the Polaroids?

 

Pat Sansone co-wrote "Deeper Down," which is probably the best song on WTA. If there is a problem with present-day Wilco -- and I don't really think there is -- Pat is not it. Keep digging.

[Guest Speed Racer]

"Deeper Down," [is] probably the best song on WTA.

 

1. I do not agree with this statement.

 

2. Calling it the best song on WTA is like calling Elizabeth Berkley the best actress in "Showgirls."

[Guest Jules]

Showgirls is awesome, btw.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Case in point.

[Guest Jules]

[Doug C]

Some of those songs are like seeing your grandmother naked; once you know it's there, you can't forget.

That analogy doesn't work for me because my grandmother was way hot.

[GLHawk]

1. I do not agree with this statement.

 

2. Calling it the best song on WTA is like calling Elizabeth Berkley the best actress in "Showgirls."

 

Seriously, do you WTA-haters really think the album is this bad? Like, a Showgirls-type fiasco?

 

I mean, I really like the album, but I can understand some of the criticism. It's a little safe and unadventurous, and it certainly doesn't match the brilliance of their classics. Do you really believe that it's not merely a lesser Wilco effort but actually an epically BAD album deserving of this level of snark? Because if you really do believe your own hyperbole here, then I think there's no point even having a conversation on the subject with you. It'd be like Al Franken trying to debate Rush Limbaugh.

 

Deeper Down is f*ing great. I'll go to the mat for that one.

[Bart]

Case in point.

 

Case *and* point.

[Guest Speed Racer]

To me, the album is just full of little missteps that keep the songs from being what they could be. With the snarky exception of One Wing, which could have been a song that didn't exist, but a series of missteps like writing and recording, kept that from being so.

 

The actual exceptions for me are Deeper Down and I'll Fight, both of which are probably decent songs, but just aren't the type of songs that I like.

 

Some of the missteps are in the writing: I think Tweedy could have used a better editor, whether it was himself or a bandmate. Like how Poor Places had about twice as many lyrics in its initial inception; Jeff has always shined when less is more. Other missteps are in the instrumentation, like that terrible organ fill in Solitaire that makes me want to snap the necks of defenseless kittens.

 

Case *and* point.

 

Dude, no.

[cryptique]

Case *and* point.

I've always found it useful when correcting someone to actually be correct.

[Bart]

I've always found it useful when correcting someone to actually be correct.

 

Damn! Don't I feel stupid. I always thought it was "and".....like "I made my case and I made my point". I'm not sure I even understand how the "in" works in that phrase.

 

Anyhow, back to the discussion.......I'll paraphrase Homer to get back to where we left off, "Wilco sucks. They are the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked"

[Theremin]

Kick Sansone where? Out of the band? Actually Pat has gotten significantly better at what he does since joining the band. Meanwhile Nels is a touring guitarist. Nothing wrong with that.

He gets to do what he wants, and as you point out sell lots more records to all of us who weren't aquainted with his music before he jointed the band, and make some decent money. Not only that he does add something to mix, but his style of music isn't what Wilco does, so he does kind of have to fit in. Ultimately this is Jeff's band. He apparently likes the way it is. So I guess everyone gets to take it or leave it at this point.

 

LoiueB

Yes, this is obviously Jeff's band but Wilco was at its peak when someone else (Benett, O'Rourke) was pushing the enveloppe as well. I feel like someone should creatively challenge him a bit more, and when I look at who's currently in the band that someone could be Cline. I get this nagging feeling Tweedy surrounded himself too much with yes-men at this point.

 

 

 

This.

Lol, nice try but this was not your original point. Your original point was some silly nonsense about Cline being responsible for the creative decline in Wilco, which made no sense whatsoever and just proved you don't know a lot about the members in this band and the music they make.

And this is in no way relevant in this discussion anyway since this thread is about their next album and not their live shows.

[dondoboy]

Case *and* point.

It's not quantum physics

[Guest Speed Racer]

I'm not sure I even understand how the "in" works in that phrase.

 

As I understand it, "In this single case is my whole point."